Southern Miss gives up 8-3 lead against South Alabama in first loss of the season

Southern Miss allowed a tough night of pitching to give away an 8-3, leading to the first loss of the season against South Alabama on Tuesday at Eddie Stankey Field.

South Alabama drew a lot from the Golden Eagles, including six pitching changes and seven runs past the fifth inning that helped them catapult to a 10-9 win. In the more than four-hour contest, it was the bullpen that held the Southern Miss offense from a win. With this loss, the Golden Eagles fall to 3-1 on the season.

Walker Powell, returning from a Tommy John surgery, shutout the Jaguars through the first three innings and ultimately only gave up two hits and four walks in his time on the mound. After Powell is where the issue came. Southern Miss got off to a 4-0 start, but Alex Nelms, who relieved Powell, allowed three runs in the fourth inning. Southern Miss followed with a four-run performance in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Mason Irby and three straight bases loaded walks, making up for what Nelms gave up.

However, the Jaguars soured Southern Miss’ then 8-3 lead by scoring three runs in the sixth inning and tacking on another four runs in the eighth inning. The Golden Eagles exhausted three of its seven pitchers used in the matchup in the eighth inning alone. Down 10-8 in the ninth inning, third baseman Luke Reynolds hit his second homerun of the night – but that was all the Golden Eagles could make up.

Southern Miss will go on to face South Dakota State on Friday at 3 p.m. in a tournament hosted in Nacodoches, Texas at Stephen F. Austin. Southern Miss will face South Dakota St., UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin during the weekend.